Iowa Short Film Has a Life Saving Message

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DES MOINES, Iowa — A two-minute film telling a poignant story of the importance of registering as an organ donor in Iowa is going viral.

The video was created by Des Moines-based production company Luminary Creative with the Iowa Donor Network. The video concept was originally geared towards teenagers returning to school and taking driver’s education, but it quickly evolved into an emotional piece that appealed to a wider audience.

“We wanted to create a video that captured the emotional journey of someone waiting for an organ transplant, yet we wanted to show how essential and easy it was for anyone in Iowa to say ‘Yes’ to donation,” said Tony Hakes with the Iowa Donor Network. “This film captures how one person’s decision to say ‘yes’ to donation leads to life’s greatest gift.”

The Iowa Donor Network said that approximately 65% of adults are registered as organ, tissue and eye donors in Iowa. Roughly 98% of those that have registered have done so while signing up for their driver’s license. There are currently more than 600 Iowans and over 120,000 people nationally waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.